100 Women of Yankton Set Out to Make a Difference vBy Julie Eickhoff Two women had the dream of bringing people together to raise significant funds for non-profit groups in need. Together with three other women heading the mission, it didn’t take long before 100 Women of Yankton was off the ground and running. As I sat with the group’s steering committee, the energy and drive from the group was remarkable. Amanda Adamson, Whitney Devine, Lindsay Hovden, Frani Kieffer and Kristi Tacke filled me in. It all started when Kieffer and Tacke were at a meeting for a non-profit organization and learned that the group had to start fundraising as their funding source was ending. The two greatly wanted to help. Tacke recalls her thoughts, “It seemed like a similar story we hear from non-profits in our area. The two of us were talking about how it would be great to be able to raise large sums for funding needs and the concept was familiar to both of us – with Frani having done deep research in a past professional position of hers. We walked out of that conversation both agreeing to not let this idea die. From there we started brainstorming women that could help us get the group going, reached 4vHERVOICEvJULY/AUGUST 2019 out to the other women currently on the steering committee and here we are!” It didn’t take long for them to get Adamson, Devine and Hovden on board. It wasn’t something they could accomplish overnight, it took the group about 8 months to work out the details, using similar groups as guidance. Their informative kick-off meeting was held in October 2017. By reaching out to women they knew and relying on word of mouth, they were hoping that they would have several women in attendance. The meeting room was so full, it was standing room only. They were shocked to find 85 women interested in the venture. Their purpose was clear: a group of 100 (or more) women who care deeply about the community “We didn’t want people to replace giving,” Tacke states. “We wanted to say, look at this as your disposable income, what you are spending on coffees or something else that could come out of your budget and go toward a good cause in Yankton.” They waited until the holidays were over before scheduling their first